Becca by Jennie Taylor Page B

“It’ll wait.” he said. He turned around.
    “Dad, wait.”
    “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
    “It’s okay.”
     
    I feel like he walked in on us having sex, except we were just kissing. Okay, we were getting kind of hot and heavy with it, but it was still just kissing.
     
    “I wanted to know if you would be ready to do a supply run in the morning.” he said. He glanced over at us, and then turned completely toward me after seeing that I was on my own side of the bed and covered now.
    “Yes. Sure. We should.”
    “Are any of the others good enough with a gun to keep everyone safe while we go?” he asked.
    “I’ve shown them all.” I told him. “David is good, but he gets scared easily. You can trust Tasha.”
    “Natasha, would you stay here and make sure everyone is safe while we go?”
    “I’d be happy to, Mr. Lang.”
    “Good then.” He said. He shifted from one foot to the other, then back. “Rebecca, you’ve earned the right to do what you want in your life. You’ve done a lot of growing up in the past couple of weeks, so I’m not telling you what to do. But I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you two sleeping together.”
    “We were just kissing, Dad.” I said. This is so embarrassing.
    “Okay. Like I said, you’re basically an adult now, you can make your own decisions. I had no idea it was like this between you two.”
    “It wasn’t. It is now.”
    “Goodnight. Go to sleep, we need to get going early tomorrow.”
    “Goodnight Mr. Lang.”
     
    When he was gone, Tasha rolled over against me and threw her arm over me. She was shaking a little, but she started laughing.
     
    “We’re going to have to get a lock for that door.”
    “Oh, you say that like you think we’ll be doing something we need privacy for.”
    “Maybe.” She giggled. “Some day.”
    “I love you, Tasha.”
    “I love you, too.”
     
    It’s weird to be so incredibly happy in the midst of all this horror. Almost everyone on the planet is dead, but I have my family with me, and I have Tasha. I can’t believe I have Tasha. I hope she’s happy.
     
     
    Monday, April 18 th  
     
I was up early so me and Dad could head out to gather supplies. I got up, got dressed,
    headed downstairs. Bridget was sitting up on the sofa, crying. I sat next to her.
     
    “What’s up?”
    “Nothing.”
    “You were right, Bridge, Mom and Dad did come.”
    “Yeah.” She wiped her face. “Do you think of all the kids you went to school with?”
    “Sometimes.” I put my arm around her. “You miss them. I miss my friends, too. There’s nothing we can do for them, honey.”
    “Why did we survive and they didn’t?”
    “Some of them may have.”
    “ Some of them.”  
    “We survived because Mom and Dad taught us how. And we were incredibly lucky.”
    “I think we survived because of you.” She whispered. “We were so scared and would have just huddled in a corner and waited for some infected person to come along for us.”
    “Dad made me do it.” I told her. 
    “Thanks, Becca.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    “Mom is really sick.” She told me. “You need to go talk to her before you and Dad leave today.”
    “If she’s that sick I should let her rest.”
    “No. You really have to see her. In case.”
     
    Wow, Bridget is really scared. Mom must be bad. I suppose I should see her. Maybe we shouldn’t go if she’s that sick. We have enough food for a few more days.
     
    “Morning.” I said to Mom. I went in and sat next to her.  
    “You ready to go?” Dad asked me.
    “Yeah, whenever you are.”
    “I’ll give you a couple of minutes, then we should go.”
     
    He got up and left. Mom is awake, but her eyes are darting all around and she looks really bad. She is sweating and shaking. I felt her forehead and it was hot.
     
    “You’re going to be okay, Mom.”
    “Take care of your father.” she whispered.
    “Me and Dad are going to go for some food in a little bit. Do you want